Relic Restoration! Found these in my Mailbox today!!

[BuckleBoy]

Hello All,


I sent off three relics to be restored by Robert McDaniel and was incredibly pleased to find these in my mailbox today! It was really a moment of joy as I unwrapped each one, not much different of a feeling than recovering the relics the first time!

The first one was a badly bent militia panel plate. When I dug this one back in 2008, it was bent in half like a taco. This was my first panel plate ever dug, so I held my breath as I brazenly unfolded it the day I found it. I decided to stop with it partially unfolded, rather than try to get it more straight. Here are some photos of the plate when I first found it.



And here is the result of my attempt to straighten it. Wish I'd known then what I know now and I might not have tried to do this... At any rate, notice that the rim is coming off and the center part of the design popping off of the plate!



Robert was able to straighten the plate. The bend is slightly visible, but the center of the panel is fixed, as is the rim, and the bar and tongue are braised back on the back of the straightened plate:



Next is a Louisiana Pelican Civil War button. I've had the good fortune of digging 4 of these beauties, and it just pained me so much to see this one that had suffered a direct hit by the plow long ago



Robert was able to straighten it and fill in the crumbling hole in the pelican's head. For a button that was so badly compromised, I'm thrilled that this turned out as well as it did. He told me that there was a possibility that the button would crumble apart as he tried to straighten it. SO glad it survived!



And last but certainly not least is this BEAUTIFUL restoration on my first Louisiana-dug plate, a US Yankee plate with arrow hooks on the reverse. The plow had done considerable damage to this one, and it was missing its outer rim when I dug it:



I am quite amazed at Robert's skillful restoration of the outer rim of the plate (I did not have him replace the other hook and tongue).




As a reminder to all, we are the caretakers of the history we unearth. Yes, I invested around half of the value of these plates in order to get them restored...but they were free in the first place. I didn't pay a dime for them. I dug them. So why not give back to these relics, relics which tell the story of our Great Nation?

It just kills me to see a military relic suffer in a display case as a result of damage inflicted by the plow, time, and the elements. To me, this was well worth it. And I hope you'll agree.

Best Wishes and Happy Hunting,


Buck

 

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[bootybandit]

Those look real nice!

 

[dig kzoo]

Wow great restoration work!

 

[treblehunter]

Looks nice and you got to find them more than once. Mr. McDaniel's work is very good, he is quite the artist!

 

[Westfront]

Great work! Some specialists have golden hands! The Militia plate is a beaut now.

 

[70monte68]

Hey Buck, That is some fantastic restoration work. Kudos to you as well for saving history,

Don

 

[VOL1266-X]

Robert is a restoration wiazrd BB. Everything came out looking good. I knew you would be pleased with Robert's work. He's a craftsman who takes pride in his work. HH, Q.

 

[Dman]

Robert does wonderful work. He is the best in the country.

 

[Valley Ranger]

A craftsman for sure. Very nice.

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

Worth it or not doesn't matter as that is only someone elses opinion. Yours is all that matters here.

I will say what I know, it is quite amazing he got the outer rim back on, and seems like it belongs there, patina is a perfect match and all. If you hadn't told us the difference, no one would know it didn't come out of the ground like that.

For a resto keeping the original look...EXCELLENT.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Great work! Some specialists have golden hands! The Militia plate is a beaut now.

I agree. It was the best of the three, and the patina he did on the front is exceptional.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Robert is a restoration wiazrd BB. Everything came out looking good. I knew you would be pleased with Robert's work. He's a craftsman who takes pride in his work. HH, Q.

Thanks so much for putting me in touch with him. He was kind enough to not even charge for the pelican button. I don't think he was pleased with how it turned out, but I'd gladly have paid for what he did to it. It is displayable now, which is what I was hoping for.

Best Wishes,

Buckles

 

[BuckleBoy]

Worth it or not doesn't matter as that is only someone elses opinion. Yours is all that matters here.

I will say what I know, it is quite amazing he got the outer rim back on, and seems like it belongs there, patina is a perfect match and all. If you hadn't told us the difference, no one would know it didn't come out of the ground like that.

For a resto keeping the original look...EXCELLENT.

I was amazed that it even looked like original soil stuck to the tongue and bar on the militia plate, despite the fact that those two pieces of metal were not original to the piece. The patina matching was really incredible. I was amazed that he was able to do as much for the US plate, which I'm sure took some time to straighten and re-build. One day, if I can manage to find all the pieces of my Colonial Spanish Cap Badge from our Tavern Site, I'll send it to him to reconstruct.

 

[Rick (Nova Scotia)]

I was amazed that it even looked like original soil stuck to the tongue and bar on the militia plate, despite the fact that those two pieces of metal were not original to the piece. The patina matching was really incredible. I was amazed that he was able to do as much for the US plate, which I'm sure took some time to straighten and re-build. One day, if I can manage to find all the pieces of my Colonial Spanish Cap Badge from our Tavern Site, I'll send it to him to reconstruct.

BBoy I am happy that you are happy with the resto job, no doubt they will look much better in the display case.
The guy who I don't know is truly a metalurgest magician.

I only had one job done, and that was a silver spoon with a designed in it's bowl, and like you I was happy (VERY) with the price /over results.

Just in case I ever forget this guy's name, and am ever in need of such work ...well you know.

Thanks for posting, as this is important information for us all to know.

GOOD LUCK OUT THERE...EH ? (honestly I don't say "eh" very often, but if a stero-type fits, I'll wear it, no problem.

I know another good find is coming your way real soon. (me too...hopefully...smiley face)

Rick

 

[Old Dude]

This is an amazing post. Thank you much for it! I am gobsmacked ( as my gf says ) by his ability. As you and others have pointed out, not only is the patina correct, but the US plate looks as if it were just dug and barely cleaned. This is a well deserved bit of advertisement for his skills. If Dman and Mr. Q. give him the nod, you know he is good! We all spend our money in ways not understood by people not in the hobby, but you will never hear me say anything but good things about your decision. You only have to worry about DiggerGirl, lol.

 

[BuckleBoy]

This is an amazing post. Thank you much for it! I am gobsmacked ( as my gf says ) by his ability. As you and others have pointed out, not only is the patina correct, but the US plate looks as if it were just dug and barely cleaned. This is a well deserved bit of advertisement for his skills. If Dman and Mr. Q. give him the nod, you know he is good! We all spend our money in ways not understood by people not in the hobby, but you will never hear me say anything but good things about your decision. You only have to worry about DiggerGirl, lol.

DiggerGirl said to me "Why haven't you sent those relics off to be restored yet? They're not gonna get any better just sitting there in the displays." She totally understands. I couldn't be married to a woman who didn't. Digging is too much a part of my life.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Just amazing work Robert McDaniel did on your relics Buck!
Restoration & preservation are probably the main reasons why I decide to tumble the majority of my inconsequential finds.

The relics you had restored are pieces that you can now display proudly and say...
"this relic would likely have been lost forever had I not found it with a metal detector and restored it so that generations of people years from now can appreciate it"!

Congrats,
Dave

 

[BuckleBoy]

Just amazing work Robert McDaniel did on your relics Buck!
Restoration & preservation are probably the main reasons why I decide to tumble the majority of my inconsequential finds.

The relics you had restored are pieces that you can now display proudly and say...
"this relic would likely have been lost forever had I not found it with a metal detector and restored it so that generations of people years from now can appreciate it"!

Congrats,
Dave

Absolutely right. I am thrilled to have restorations like this done, when I have the opportunity. To me it's a priceless investment in history.

 

[Davers]

Just did a search on Bent in half U.S. Plates & your post was the first one that I read & I must say the Work done by R.M. ..
is Incredible esp the Militia Plate & the US Buckle.

Yesterday I stumbled across My second US plate this year/ EVER, but this one is bent right in half with the U on one side & the S on the other. & Seems to have a hole punched right through the middle From the Backside Out.
To small to be from a large Minie Ball, Maybe a large Nail, Heck I have not looked at it Since I put it in my Back Pack so it's still a mystery .. just going by memory from 24 hrs ago , but it's bent so much I could not tell if it is was a Box Plate or Buckle
I assume Box Plate (not much room for brass hooks in the fold but Ill see).
It would IMO take one Heck of a Plow strike to bend it like it is , or maybe some fellow back in the 40's -60's shot it with a est
30 cal Rifle Bullet.
Not asking you How ,Why or What , cause you (or anyone else) has seen the Plate , Actually you are the first I have told about it. )..My wife would have likely said "That's Cool" & then got back on the phone ,lol.

It had crossed my mind at the time of having it restored & have Seen Roberts Work in the past , but thought it would be a real pain 'keeping the lead back together & all' but seeing your US buckle Now I think it can be restored, I'd be Happy if it was
flat again .
Heck I'm Happy with the way it is now.
It has a Story to tell ; Now I need to figure it out.
Sorry so long , just had to tell Somebody.
Davers

 

[stefen]

I have a buckle that looks like a head of lettuce...like it was hit by a plow each year for 150 years...

Be proud if it can be repaired to look half as good as yours...